In addition to discussing his quarterback, Brock Purdy, with reporters on Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan also sat down with NFL Network's Steve Wyche during the NFL owners meetings.
Purdy's NFL journey has been captivating. The quarterback embarked on his professional career buried on the 49ers' depth chart after being selected with the final overall draft pick in 2022. His opportunity to showcase his ability to play in the NFL came only after the team suffered injuries to two quarterbacks.
Purdy flourished, leading the team to the NFC Championship Game during his rookie season and to the Super Bowl last season. His rise underscores the unpredictability of the NFL and how the league's next star can emerge from anywhere.
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As Purdy solidified his place among NFL starting quarterbacks, skeptics began to voice their opinions, with analysts debating where the young 49ers player stands in the exclusive quarterback club's hierarchy.
"It shows how hard it is to play quarterback in this league," Shanahan told Wyche. "I mean, there's 32 teams and there's definitely not 32 guys. And even when you do have those, the pressure for a guy to do it over and over, week in and week out, it's such a team game, it's dependent on so many different aspects, but the pressure is always on that guy each week.
"And even Brock, who's been unbelievable in these two years, getting us to the NFC Championship, getting us to the Super Bowl, and when you do that, just the standard changes. So right when people see you're in that club, then they're going to try to see where in that club you are, and it really never stops.
"There's the pressure that is on those guys. That's why it's one of the most high-paid positions in the league—or definitely the most high-paid position—because they've got to earn it, and they do earn it. But Brock's done that these last two years. He's been unbelievable. He's done it week in and week out."
Almost every QB selected before Brock Purdy and many after him the last two seasons has been traded, demoted and certainly hasn't reached the Super Bowl. 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan goes into that and more in our conversation from the NFL Annual Meeting. pic.twitter.com/AmGvaoKSx3
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) March 27, 2024
Shanahan noted that Purdy's journey has been marked by significant adversity. During his rookie offseason, the quarterback's practice opportunities were limited due to his position on the depth chart. His second NFL offseason was spent recovering from surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, and he didn't resume throwing footballs to his teammates until training camp.
This offseason is pivotal for Purdy, who will finally have an opportunity to get the repetitions necessary to refine his footwork while honing his physical and mental sharpness during practices.
"Everything's about repetition," Shanahan emphasized. "You can learn it right away. It's about going through it. And Brock's gone through a lot in two years in these games, so that's been great for him. But the way you get better is doing it over and over in practice and just drilling it. It's all about getting those 10,000 reps."